Handling stolen goods is when a person has taken possession of stolen goods. What’s more this can be possession with intent to sell on or just to own.
A person can be found guilty if they know the goods are stolen. This can also be the case if they help in the continued possession, disposal, or transferral of the goods for the benefit of another person.
The individual’s understanding of the goods holds significance in situations like this. What’s more when prosecuting cases the following aspects are considered:
- Whether the goods were still considered ‘stolen’ at the time of handling then indicates they hadn’t been returned to the original owner.
- Whether the individual was cognisant of the fact that the goods were stolen.
